Conflict Resolution Lab Report # 1
Lab Date: Thursday April 23, 2026
Theme: Open Space Dialogue
Participants: 6 participants; mediators, coaches, HR
Facilitator: Mark Batson Baril. MS Mediation and Conflict Studies / BS Business & Personnel Management. Workplace team crisis intervention and abrasive leader coaching specialist since 2007. NMC Executive Director
Next Lab: May 28th 2026 – See NMC website for event details. www,mediatenmc.org
Lab Summary: Six practitioners used an open, real-world lab format to test conflict resolution approaches across mediation, coaching, and HR—sharpening awareness on neutrality, regulation, and client dynamics—while walking away with a few clear tweaks for next time.
1. Lab Purpose
We experiment together in a space that’s thoughtful, supportive, and grounded in real practice. Each Lab is a chance to slow down, try new approaches, and learn alongside others who care deeply about this conflict resolution work.
2. Workbench Suggested Topics: and What was Worked On
Reality Checks – Mediator How tos, and not tos…
Breathing and relaxing before, during and after sessions
Grieving – Best supporting clients when they have lost someone
Conflict Coaching methodologies
Correct approaches to being with a variety of client types
3. Tools / Techniques Tested
We used Open Space dialogue technique to open the conversation up to what people who attended wanted to talk about. In this Lab, instead of splitting to topic “workbenches” we pulled from a hat to decide topics and stay together. Reflective debriefing and guided exercises were used as discussion frames.
4. Key Insights
The reality checks discussion: led to insights that reality checks can go too far when they scare a party, or push a party in a way that they believe the mediator is biased beyond repair. The discussion also brought front and center the concept of practitioner indoctrination in the system in cases lasting many sessions / long term support – AND, that this becoming part of the system is often times invisible to the practitioner and the parties and can lead to letting one’s guard down at critical moments.
Breathing and Relaxing techniques were discussed for the value and importance of them from a neurological perspective. We were then led through a series of exercises resulting in several people lowering their heart rates over the course of just one minute.
5. What We’d Do Differently Next Lab
Have more facilitator tools at the ready. Make name tags available.
Bring everyone back to the main space towards the end and have a note taker working to grab big take-aways to share out to the community in Lab Reports.
End of Lab Report ------------------------------